Truck for handling hollow blocks and tile



June 5, 1923. 1,457,639

' M. T. STRAIGHT TRUCK FOR HANDLING HOLLOW BLOCKS AND TILE Filed Sept,27, 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 5, 1923.

M. T. STRAIGHT TRUCK FOR HANDLING HOLLOW BLOCKS AND TILE Filed Sept. 27.1919 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Bweruor June 5, 1923.

M. T. STRAIGHT 'TRUCK FOR HANDLING HOLLOW BLOCKS AND TI LE Filed Sept.27, 1919 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 [:HI? IIIII EJII] CHI] :11: [I113 511 IIIIIE15 IIJE] 51:1 13:1 IIII IIII :11: 1:1: C1D [31:11:15 [3m G1: :15 511mm1,457,639 PATENT FFic.

MERTON T. STRAIGHT, OF ADEL, IOWA.

TRUCK FOR HANDLING HOLLOW BLOCKS AND TILE.

Application filed September 27, 191 9. Serial No. 326,957.

those known as hollow building blocks and drain tile, or any articlesformed with openings which can be piled in symmetrical piles.

Clay products of this class are generally burned in kilns and are thenremoved to a suitable receiving or storage yard where they are piledready for delivery to the consumer at any convenient time, or they maybe delivered directly to suitable cars for transportation. In eithercase, it is necessary to load blocks or tile into a rack or frameprovided on a transfer truck, or cars, and then unload and pile them inthe yards or in a railroad car. If the articles are piled in the yardsit is necessary to handle them the second time by placing them on atransfer car and deliveringthem to the -railroad car. This work hasheretofore been done manually and generally required from two to threemen to each transfer car.

It is the primary object of my invention to provide a truck havingmechanical means for automatically loading a truck and capable ofunloading and piling the stuif in suitable piles. This would require oneoperator such as is generally used to operate a truck. Tile or blocksare generally piled in the manner illustrated in Fig. 8 of the drawings,with the openings of the ware running transversely of the pile, whichmay be any desired length and of a height limited by the verticaldimensions of the machine. The blocks may be piled in a series ofvertical tiers with their ends adjacent.

A further object of my invention is to provide a truck of simple,durable and inexpensive construction particularly adapted to deliver andpile hollow tile or building blocks in symmetrical piles.

A further object is to provide in a truck adapted to deliver and pilebuilding blocks and having a series of projecting prongs for removingand elevating the said blocks, new and improved means whereby the tileor blocks may be prevented from sliding of? the said prongs, as thetruck is being operated.

A further object is to provide a self propelled truck provided with apronged rack or receiving hollow blocks or tile and capable of beinglifted or elevated vertically and alsocapable of swinging horizontally.

These and other objects will be apparent to those skilled in the art,which need not be pointed out in detail.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combinationof the various parts of the device, whereby the objects contemplated areattained, as hereinafter more fully set forth, pointed out in my claimsand illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

big. 1 shows a side elevation of my improved truck showing a series ofblocks in dotted lines and the manner in which the truck engages thesame before they are removed from their position. The lifting member isalso shown in dotted lines in its elevated position.

Fig. 2 shows a plan view of my improved truck, the lifting member beingshown in its normal position for receiving a load and shown" swung toone side in dotted lines.

Fl-"g. 3 is a detail sectional vie-w of the lifting' prongs showing thehooks for retaining theblocks in position taken on the line 3-3 of Fig.2.

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional View showing the manner in which thelifting rack is secured to the lifting frame and is taken on the line4-4 of Fig. a

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic View showing the manner in which the liftingbars may be applied'to hollow cylindrical tile.

Fig. 6 is a'detail end elevation showing the manner in which the liftingprongs are applied to rectangular hollow tile.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal sectional view of th lifting mechanism.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a pile of clay products piled in themanner necessary to be handled by my improved lifting truck.

Figure 9 is an enlarged detail View showing the manner in which thedriving wheels are operatively connected with the axle and the motor.

The reference numeral 10 indicates the platform of my truck which isprovided with an axle 11, each end of which axle has pivotally mountedwheels 12, the said wheels being controlled by means of arms 13 andtransverse guide rod 14. A battery box 15 is secured on the rear end ofthe platform 10 motor.

and is designed to contain storage batteries of the ordinaryconstruction. The forward side of the box 15 is provided with a bearing16 which is designed. to receive a vertical shaft 17, the lower end ofwhich is provided with an arm 18, said arm 18 being operativelyconnected with an arm 19 by the link 20, the arm 19 being secured to oneof the arms 13. The upper end of the shaft 17 has an operating handle21. By this mechanism, I have provided means whereby the rear end of thetruck may be steered, the said means being of the ordinary construction.

The axle 11 is provided with suitable driving shaft 25 by which thewheels 12 are rotated, the said mechanism being operated through a motor22 having a vertical shaft 23 and a worm 24, which is operativelyconnected with the worm gear 25. By this mechanism, which is also of theordinary construction, the truck may be advanced forwardly or rearwardlyby operating said The forward end of the truck is provided with acasting 26 having an axle 27, each end of which has pivotally mountedwheels 28. The wheels 28 are operatively connected by steering linkssimilar to those applied to the rear wheel and are controlled by meansof a lever 29 mounted on the upper end of a vertical shaft 30 similar tothe shaft 17. The position of these links are clearly shown in dottedlines in Fig. 2. The castin 26 is also provided at its forward end witha bearing member 31 which is designed to carry a vertical shaft 32 andalso ahorizontal shaft 33, the shaft'32 being operatively connected tothe shaft 33 by means of bevel gears 34. A motor 35 is operativelyconnected with the shaft 32 and secured to the under side of theplatform 10. The shaft 32 has its upper end screw-threaded and isdesigned to extend upward and is rotatively mounted in abearing member36. This member is secured to a frame 37 which extends rearward anddownward and is secured to the top side of the battery boxes 15 by meansof bolts 38. The thrust bearing plate 39 is mounted upon the upper sideof the bearing 26 and is designed to carry a sleeve 40 rotativelymounted in the platform 10 and secured to a guide supporting member 41.The member 41 is provided with guides 42 which extend vertically andahead of the shaft 32, the upper ends of the guides 42 being connectedto a horizontal bar 43, the rear end of which has mounted in it a sleeve44. The sleeve 44 is pivotally mounted in the bearing member 36, asclearly shown in Fig. 7. By this construction the guide members 42 andthe members 41 and 43 form a unitary structure, free to pivotally swingabout the shaft 32, the said shaft being free to rotate within thesleeves 40 and 44. The guides 42 are spaced apart and thereby provide avertical slot 45.

For receiving the material, I have provided what I shall term a liftingrack,comprising a vertical plate 46, provided with equi-distanthorizontally arranged prongs 47 extendinglaterally from its forwardside. Each of these prongs has its rear end rigid- .ly secured to saidplate and is formed preferably of a channel iron, having in its topportion near its rear end a slot 48. The plate 46 has secured to itsrear side, by a plate 46 and guide members 49 which are designed toco-act with the ide members 42 in such a manner that the plate 46 withthe prongs 47, may be elevated or lowered vertically. For raisin andlowering the plate 46, I have provi ed an arm 50 which extends throughthe slot 45 of the swinging frame, formed by the guides 42 and themembers 43, the forward end of the arm 50 being secured to the back ofthe plate 46 bynneans of bolts 51. The rear end of the arm 50 has ascrew-threaded opening designed to co-act with the screw-threaded shaft32, as clearly shown in Fig. 1.

Thus it will be seen that as the motor35 is rotated, the shaft 32 willbe rotated through the bevel gears 34 and the plate 46 will be elevatedor lowered, depending upon which direction the said shaft is rotated.

The prongs 46 are spaced and so arranged that they will enter theopenings formed in the hollow blocks or tile when the said blocks ortile are piled symmetrical as shown in Fig. 8.

In this arrangement, it will be seen that if the lifting rack is in theposition shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the truck is advanced withthe prongs 47 opposite the opening formed in said blocks, the prongswill enter the said openings, after which the said rack may be elevated,which will cause the blocks to be elevated therewith, the number ofblocks elevated being determined by the number, of prongs in the liftingrack. After the blocks have been lifted, the truck may be movedrearwardly, which will remove the said blocks from the pile. They maythen be carried to any suitable point, at which time the rack may belowered, until the blocks rest upon the floor and the truck may be movedrearward, causing the prongs to disengage said blocks.

The guide members 42 are of a consider able length for the purpose ofenabling the operator to place the blocks on a pile of a considerableheight. If the machine is operated with the racks in the position shownin Fig. 1, a low pile of blocks may be removed and by elevating the saidrack, may be placed on a pile considerably higher.

Sometimes it is not convenient to move the machine directly forward topick up a bunch of tile, but would be more convenient to move it forwardand sidewise. To accomplish this, I have provided means whereby trallmamas the lifting rack may be swung about the shaft 32, which isaccomplished by means of a worm gear 52, in mesh with a worm 53 securedin a suitable boxing 54, the worm gear 52 being secured to the sleeve40. The worm 53 is secured to a horizontal shaft 55 which extendsbeneath the platform 10 and is operatively connected with a motor shaftof the motor 56.

Thus it will be seen that if the motor 56 is operated, the worm gear 52may be operated, causing the sleeve 40 to rotate and carry the framemember 41 with it. will cause the rack to be moved in a horizontalplane. When the rack is moved in the position shown in dotted lines ofFig. 2, the supporting wheels will also be moved to take paths parallelwith the longitudinal axes of the prongs, as illustrated by dottedlines. Then the motor 22 is operated, the truck will be moved obliquelyand the prongs longitudinally into the openings of the blocks, afterwhich the blocks may be lifted as above described.

For preventing the blocks from sliding ofl while they are beingtransported from one position to another, I have provided a hook member57 having a hook 58 on its rear end, desi ned to extend upward into theslot 48 an the hook member 59 on its forward end designed to extendupward beyond the forward end of the prong, the member 57 being designedto rest cenbeneath the top of the prong. The mem er57 has pivotallyconnected to each side, a link 60, the lower end of each of which ispivotally connected to a second link 61, the upper end of which ispivotally connected to the sides of the channel 47. For operating thehook member 59, I have provided a horizontal bar 62, the forward end ofwhich is pivoted to the links 60 and 61 by a pivot 63. The rear end ofthe bar 62 is connected to an arm 64 which in turn is mounted on ahorizontal transverse shaft 65. A transverse pin 66 is placed beneaththe rear end of the member 57 to hold the hook 58 in the slot 48. Bythis arrangement it will be seen that when the hook 59 is in itselevated position, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and is engaged bythe end of-a block, as it moves longitudinally toward the free end ofthe prong 47, the hook 58 will engage the forward end of the slot 48 andthe forward movement of the hook 59 prevented. There is a shaft for eachhorizontal tier of prongs 57, and each prong is provided with a hook 59,and it has operative mechanism as described.

Each of the shafts 65 is provided at one end with an arm 67 which hasits free end connected toa vertical bar 68. The top one of the shafts 65has at each end an operating This lever 69. When the prongs 47 'havebeen moved forward in position to pick up hollow blocks or tile and therack has been elevated and movedslightly rearward, the top arm 69 ismoved forward which causes the rock shafts 65 to rotate in acounter-clockwise direction, as shown in F ig. 3. This would cause thebars 62 to move forward together with the links 60 and 61. This wouldcause the hook member 59 to be moved forward then upward from beneaththe under side of the prong 47 to a position shown in the top prong ofFig. 3, with the hook 58 against the forward end of the slot 48, therebypreventing the tile from sliding off of said prongs.

It is necessary to withdraw the hook member 59 back of the forward endof the said prongs, for the purpose of permitting the load to beelevated without engaging tile adjacent to the forward end of the tilebeing lifted. If the hooks were in position as shown on the top of prongof Fig. 3, the top of the member 59 would engage the adjacent tile. Forthat reason, it is desirable to move the hook members 59 beneath theforward end of the prongs when the rack is being loaded By thisarrangement it will be seen that I have provided a mechanicalmeanswhereby a number of tile ma be simultaneously and automaticallylifte and delivered to a second predetermined pile.

One advantage of the swinging rack is s that when tile are lifted andhauled from i one position to another, they will have a tendency tospread apart when the tile are placed on the pile, and as the rack islowered, it is also slightly swung sideways which will cause the tile toengage each other and be properly aligned vertically.

The plate 46 may be detachably connected to the plate 46 by means ofrivets 46 mounted in the said plate 46" and designed to co-act withslots 46 secured in the plate 46.

By this construction, the operator is enabled to quickly and easilyremove the lifting rack and replace it with a second lifting rack havingthe prongs arranged and spaced different from those on the first liftinrack, for the purpose of lifting tile of difi'erent sizes and shapes,Fig. 5 being a fragment of a rack arranged to lift hollow drain tile.

I claim:

1. A device for handling hollow tile comprising a frame, having a seriesof horizontal prongs spaced apart so that each may enter the opening ofa correspondingly spaced tile of a series of adjacent and symmetricallyarranged tile, means for elevating and lowering said frame, means forswinging said frame in a horizontal plane when in any of its verticalpositions of movement, and means for moving said prongs longitudinally,into and out of the tile when said prongs are in any of their positionsof movement.

2. A device for handling hollow tile comprising a frame, having a seriesof horizontal prongs spaced apart so that each may enter the opening ofa correspondingly spaced tile of a series of adjacent and symmetricallyarranged tile, each of said prongs being provided with a pivoted hookdesigned to rest normally beneath and back of its free end and capableof being moved forward, beyond, and above the said free end, means forsimultaneously operating said hooks, means for elevating and loweringsaid frame, means for swinging said frame in a horizontal plane when inany of its vertical positions of movement, and means for moving saidprongs longitudinally into and out of the tile when said prongs are inany of their positions of movement.

'3. A lifting rack comprising a frame having a series of prongsprojecting from one side, each of said prongs being provided with apivoted hook designed to rest normally beneath and back of its free endand capable of being moved forward, beyond, and above the said free end,and means for simultaneously operating said hooks.

4. A lifting rack comprising a frame having a series of prongsprojecting from one side, each of said prongs being provided with apivoted hook designed to rest normally beneath and back of its free endand capable of being moved forward beyond and above the said free end,and means for operating said hooks.

5. The combination of a platform, means for supporting and moving saidplatform in a number of directions, a battery box on the rear end ofsaid platform, a vertical screw threaded shaft on the forward end ofsaid platform, means for rotating said shaft, vertical guides pivotallymounted to swing around said shaft, means for swinging said guides, aslide frame mounted on said guides and operatively connected to saidscrew threaded shaft, a receiving rack and means for detachablyconnecting said rack to the said slide frame.

' 6. The combination of a platform, means platform, means for rotatingsaid shaft, vertical guides pivotally mounted to swing around saidshaft, mechanical means for swinging said guides, a slide frame mountedon said guides and operatively connected to said screw threaded shaft,and a lifting rack mounted on said slide frame comprising a verticalframehaving a series of horizontal and parallel prongs projecting fromone side.

7. The combination of a horizontally arranged platform, means for movingsaid platform in a number of directions, a vertical support on saidplatform, a rack pivotally mounted on said vertical support and capableof vertical movement from the lower end to the upper end of saidsupport, said rack being provided with a series of parallel prongsarranged and adapted to be moved longitudinally in the openings ofhollow tile or. blocks when piled symmetrically, means for moving saidrack vertically, and means for swinging said rack about the saidvertical support when in any of its elevated or lowered positions ofmovement.

8. In a device .of the class described, a rack provided with a series ofparallel prongs arranged and adapted to be moved longitudinally in theopenings of hollow tile or blocks when piled symmetrically, the freeends of each of said prongs being provided with a pivoted hook designedto rest normally beneath and back of its free end and capable of beingmoved forward, beyond .and above the said free end,means forsimultaneously operating said hooks, means for slidably and pivotallysupporting said rack on a vertical axis, means for imparting a slidingand vertical movement to said rack,

and means for swinging said rack about said vertical axis when in any ofits vertical positions.

MERTON T. STRAIGHT.

